New member from Southern California

[Inflight]

My name is Matt and I'm from Long Beach, CA.  Very new to blacksmithing but I have lots of experience working metal in my home machine shop.

I recently acquired a 200 lb anvil and I built a brake drum forge.  My first projects will probably be some simple tools such as punch & drifts as well as tongs.

Here are a couple pictures of the anvil and my forge during construction. And No, that is not the hammer I plan on using...it was just for staging the photo.

 

 

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Nothing wrong with using that hammer.

The forge looks too deep to me. Rotors work much better. Check out the solid fuel forge section of the forums. At a minimum you will want to cut a couple of slots so you can get to the middle of a longer bar, and have your piece lay flat in the fire instead of tipped down into it.  

[Inflight]

I created a conical bed of a refractory inside the brake drum to reduce the depth. I agree that I might need to cut a couple slots in the side for longer work. I guess that'll depend on what I'm working on.  Thanks for the suggestion!

 

 

Matt

[Inflight]

Recently I've added a coal tray of about 2 ft square around the brake drum which allows supporting longer workpieces, more coal to coke up, and I can pile the hot coals much deeper.  So far it's worked out very well.

And today I found the name Peter Wright in the side of the anvil.  

 

 

 

Matt

[C-1ToolSteel]

Cool deal!

[Inflight]

[Peccary]

That looks great, man! I'm wishing I had a house instead of an apartment with this newfound hobby.